The YELLOW FAIRY BOOK - online childrens book

Illustrated classic fairy tales for children by Andrew Lang

The wife had to fetch the wine which she had hidden, and the farmer drank and grew very merry. He would very much like to have had such a wizard as Little Klaus had in the sack.

' Can he conjure up the Devil?' asked the farmer. 'I should like to see him very much, for I feel just now in very good spirits!'

' Yes,' said Little Klaus; ' my wizard can do everything that I ask. Isn't that true ? ' he asked, treading on the sack so that it squeaked. ' Do you hear ? He says " Yes; " but that the Devil looks so ugly that we should not like to see him.'

' Oh ! I'm not at all afraid. "What does he look like ? ' ' He will show himself in the shape of a sexton !'

' I say !' said the farmer, (he must be ugly ! You must know that I can't bear to look at a sexton! But it doesn't matter. I know that it is the Devil, and I sha'n't mind ! I feel up to it now. But he must not come too near me ! '

'I must ask my wizard,' said Little Klaus, treading on the sack and putting his ear to it.

' What does he say ? '

' He says you can open the chest in the corner there, and you will see the Devil squatting inside it; but you must hold the lid so that he shall not escape.'

' Will you help me to hold him ?' begged the farmer, going towards the chest where his wife had hidden the real sexton, who was sitting inside in a terrible fright. The farmer opened the lid a little way, and saw him inside.

' Ugh! ' he shrieked, springing back. (Yes, now I have seen him; he looked just like our sexton. Oh, it was horrid !'

So he had to drink again, and they drank till far on into the night.

6 You must sell me the wizard,' said the farmer. 'Ask any­thing you like ! I will pay you down a bushelful of money on the spot.'

'No, I really can't,' said Little Klaus. 'Just think how many things I can get from this wizard!'

' Ah ! I should like to have him so much !' said the farmer, begging very hard.

' Well!' said Little Klaus at last, ' as you have been so good as to give me shelter to-night, I will sell him. You shall have the Wizard for a bushel of money, but I must have full measure.'